Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
Sport
Siddharth Saxena | TNN

FIFA ban: Eminent players could face short end of the stick

NEW DELHI: In the current crisis involving the FIFA ban and the holding of elections in the All India Football Federation and save the Under-17 women's World Cup, it is India's eminent footballer that could end up as being the most dispensable.

Thrust, suddenly into the limelight in a reforms-heavy constitution draft by the Committee of Administrators, by including 36 eminent players (24 men and 12 women) in the Electoral College - a 75% jump in terms of direct player representation -- the current FIFA action could rob them of a chance at power and say, should the CoA have to revert to the original constitution or the National Sports Code to conduct the much-needed elections.

The AIFF was suspended for "undue interference by a third party," with FIFA categorically underlining conditions that could have it revoked. The primary requisite is to "carry out upcoming electoral process as per the statutory requirement and to hold elections based on pre-existing membership structure of AIFF." This rules out for individual members to carry a vote, and the former players might have to be vetted if a solution to the current stalemate is to be found.

It is this predicament that every eminent former footballer would want to avoid.

As per the latest version of the Electoral College on the AIFF website, only Eugeneson Lyngdoh, former international and current United Democratic Party MLA in the Meghalaya assembly, Harjinder, veteran international from Chandigarh, are the former India players on the list as being representatives of their respective member state. The rest figure on the basis of their seniority as per number of matches played for India.

Also, Steven Dias, former India winger from Mumbai and a Bob Houghton favourite during the Nehru Cup wins in 2007 and 2009, replaces former 1980s goalkeeper Atanu Bhattacharya in a rejigged eminent players' voter list.

The composition of eminent players has caused considerable debate among the players themselves, especially its lop-sided nature and the conditions for selection. Many felt that the states should have been asked to nominate their eminent India players. While no player from Jammu and Kashmir made the list since Mehrajuddin Wadoo may not have played sufficient matches and fallen off the count, Abdul Majeed Kakroo doesn't figure either despite being a former India captain in the 1980s.

A former player of considerable repute warned against the large number of players from a particular region. "They are all friends of mine, but with so many players from one region (eight men from Bengal and the bulk of the women's players for Manipur), they will be at an advantage. It is quite unfair for the rest of us," he told TOI.

The other issue is the poor records and absence of a centrally maintained player database at Football House. Far from deciding whom to vote for, an incorrect number of international matches for many applicants has had them run from pillar to post to have it rectified.

Former India midfielder NP Pradeep, of Kerala, found his nomination returned because he had only played, according to them, 45 matches. "I regularly played for India from 2005 till 2011, I couldn't have played just 45 games," he told TOI, adding that as per his count it was 51 matches and 14 goals, reaffirming the belief how goals and appearances are paramount for any player.

The most bizarre case was of another former player who had played for Indian for over a decade, under three different national coaches but was 'allotted' only 31 matches as per the central records. "I was in shock when they said, only 31 games," the player told TOI, "I played for over a decade and was a first-team player, not on the bench. I didn't know whom to approach, even my state association didn't have all the records. As a last resort, I sent them a screenshot of my Wikipedia page which showed I had played at least twenty matches more. It is very sad that I had to resort to this to convince them of my record.

"Whether we vote or not, and for whom, that comes later, at least get our records in order. They may not realize it, but it is a matter of great pride for us to have played for India," he said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.